Jamie Oliver's book hits a record million sales

Jamie Oliver's latest recipe book has sold more than a million copies in less than three months, making it the biggest-selling non-fiction work since records began.

The cookbook, Jamie's 30-Minute Meals, sold 149,640 copies last week - at a rate of 15 copies every minute, according to data from retail analysts Nielsen Bookscan.

He told fans on Twitter: "Wanted to say thanks for supporting 30 min meals book. We have just broken the million book sales!! Couldn't have done it without you guys!"

Tom Weldon, from publisher Penguin UK, said he was "thrilled" with the success of the book, which has a cover price of £26.

He said: "Jamie works his creative magic on every new project and this latest book is a fantastic combination of delicious recipes and a simple, yet winning concept."

The Bookscan data goes back only to 1998 and the publishers of one of Oliver's main rivals, Delia Smith, estimate sales of her hardback Winter Collection stand at around two million.

After Jamie's 30-Minute Meals, the next most popular buy at booksellers last week was A Simples Life, the fictional memoir of television advertising meerkat Aleksandr Orlov.

The £9.99 hardback sold 70,990 copies.

Oliver is presenting a Channel 4 documentary series next year where he will be joined by figures including Rolf Harris, Simon Callow and Daley Thompson in a TV experiment to encourage 20 teenagers who have had difficulties at school to give education a second chance.

Shakespearean actor Callow is to be the drama teacher, Harris will run the art classes and Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete Daley Thompson will teach sport.

Oliver had difficulties of his own at school, partly due to his dyslexia, and left at 16 with two GCSEs.

Jamie's Dream School will be screened early next year.